diff --git a/drivers/media/rc/lirc_dev.c b/drivers/media/rc/lirc_dev.c
index b07d0ab37d6b..c83fffec0681 100644
--- a/drivers/media/rc/lirc_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/media/rc/lirc_dev.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct irctl {
 	bool attached;
 	int open;
 
-	struct mutex irctl_lock;
+	struct mutex mutex;	/* protect from simultaneous accesses */
 	struct lirc_buffer *buf;
 	bool buf_internal;
 
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ struct irctl {
 	struct cdev cdev;
 };
 
+/* This mutex protects the irctls array */
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(lirc_dev_lock);
 
 static struct irctl *irctls[MAX_IRCTL_DEVICES];
@@ -53,20 +54,25 @@ static struct irctl *irctls[MAX_IRCTL_DEVICES];
 /* Only used for sysfs but defined to void otherwise */
 static struct class *lirc_class;
 
-static void lirc_release(struct device *ld)
+static void lirc_free_buffer(struct irctl *ir)
 {
-	struct irctl *ir = container_of(ld, struct irctl, dev);
-
 	put_device(ir->dev.parent);
 
 	if (ir->buf_internal) {
 		lirc_buffer_free(ir->buf);
 		kfree(ir->buf);
+		ir->buf = NULL;
 	}
+}
+
+static void lirc_release(struct device *ld)
+{
+	struct irctl *ir = container_of(ld, struct irctl, dev);
 
 	mutex_lock(&lirc_dev_lock);
 	irctls[ir->d.minor] = NULL;
 	mutex_unlock(&lirc_dev_lock);
+	lirc_free_buffer(ir);
 	kfree(ir);
 }
 
@@ -143,6 +149,28 @@ int lirc_register_driver(struct lirc_driver *d)
 		return -EBADRQC;
 	}
 
+	/* some safety check 8-) */
+	d->name[sizeof(d->name) - 1] = '\0';
+
+	if (d->features == 0)
+		d->features = LIRC_CAN_REC_LIRCCODE;
+
+	ir = kzalloc(sizeof(*ir), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!ir)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	mutex_init(&ir->mutex);
+	ir->d = *d;
+
+	if (LIRC_CAN_REC(d->features)) {
+		err = lirc_allocate_buffer(ir);
+		if (err) {
+			kfree(ir);
+			return err;
+		}
+		d->rbuf = ir->buf;
+	}
+
 	mutex_lock(&lirc_dev_lock);
 
 	/* find first free slot for driver */
@@ -152,37 +180,18 @@ int lirc_register_driver(struct lirc_driver *d)
 
 	if (minor == MAX_IRCTL_DEVICES) {
 		dev_err(d->dev, "no free slots for drivers!\n");
-		err = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out_lock;
+		mutex_unlock(&lirc_dev_lock);
+		lirc_free_buffer(ir);
+		kfree(ir);
+		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	ir = kzalloc(sizeof(struct irctl), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!ir) {
-		err = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out_lock;
-	}
-
-	mutex_init(&ir->irctl_lock);
 	irctls[minor] = ir;
 	d->irctl = ir;
 	d->minor = minor;
+	ir->d.minor = minor;
 
-	/* some safety check 8-) */
-	d->name[sizeof(d->name)-1] = '\0';
-
-	if (d->features == 0)
-		d->features = LIRC_CAN_REC_LIRCCODE;
-
-	ir->d = *d;
-
-	if (LIRC_CAN_REC(d->features)) {
-		err = lirc_allocate_buffer(irctls[minor]);
-		if (err) {
-			kfree(ir);
-			goto out_lock;
-		}
-		d->rbuf = ir->buf;
-	}
+	mutex_unlock(&lirc_dev_lock);
 
 	device_initialize(&ir->dev);
 	ir->dev.devt = MKDEV(MAJOR(lirc_base_dev), ir->d.minor);
@@ -196,10 +205,10 @@ int lirc_register_driver(struct lirc_driver *d)
 	ir->attached = true;
 
 	err = cdev_device_add(&ir->cdev, &ir->dev);
-	if (err)
-		goto out_dev;
-
-	mutex_unlock(&lirc_dev_lock);
+	if (err) {
+		put_device(&ir->dev);
+		return err;
+	}
 
 	get_device(ir->dev.parent);
 
@@ -207,13 +216,6 @@ int lirc_register_driver(struct lirc_driver *d)
 		 ir->d.name, ir->d.minor);
 
 	return 0;
-
-out_dev:
-	put_device(&ir->dev);
-out_lock:
-	mutex_unlock(&lirc_dev_lock);
-
-	return err;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(lirc_register_driver);
 
@@ -226,11 +228,13 @@ void lirc_unregister_driver(struct lirc_driver *d)
 
 	ir = d->irctl;
 
-	mutex_lock(&lirc_dev_lock);
-
 	dev_dbg(ir->d.dev, "lirc_dev: driver %s unregistered from minor = %d\n",
 		d->name, d->minor);
 
+	cdev_device_del(&ir->cdev, &ir->dev);
+
+	mutex_lock(&ir->mutex);
+
 	ir->attached = false;
 	if (ir->open) {
 		dev_dbg(ir->d.dev, LOGHEAD "releasing opened driver\n",
@@ -238,9 +242,8 @@ void lirc_unregister_driver(struct lirc_driver *d)
 		wake_up_interruptible(&ir->buf->wait_poll);
 	}
 
-	mutex_unlock(&lirc_dev_lock);
+	mutex_unlock(&ir->mutex);
 
-	cdev_device_del(&ir->cdev, &ir->dev);
 	put_device(&ir->dev);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(lirc_unregister_driver);
@@ -252,13 +255,24 @@ int lirc_dev_fop_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 
 	dev_dbg(ir->d.dev, LOGHEAD "open called\n", ir->d.name, ir->d.minor);
 
-	if (ir->open)
-		return -EBUSY;
+	retval = mutex_lock_interruptible(&ir->mutex);
+	if (retval)
+		return retval;
+
+	if (!ir->attached) {
+		retval = -ENODEV;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (ir->open) {
+		retval = -EBUSY;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	if (ir->d.rdev) {
 		retval = rc_open(ir->d.rdev);
 		if (retval)
-			return retval;
+			goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (ir->buf)
@@ -268,24 +282,26 @@ int lirc_dev_fop_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 
 	lirc_init_pdata(inode, file);
 	nonseekable_open(inode, file);
+	mutex_unlock(&ir->mutex);
 
 	return 0;
+
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&ir->mutex);
+	return retval;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(lirc_dev_fop_open);
 
 int lirc_dev_fop_close(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
 	struct irctl *ir = file->private_data;
-	int ret;
 
-	ret = mutex_lock_killable(&lirc_dev_lock);
-	WARN_ON(ret);
+	mutex_lock(&ir->mutex);
 
 	rc_close(ir->d.rdev);
-
 	ir->open--;
-	if (!ret)
-		mutex_unlock(&lirc_dev_lock);
+
+	mutex_unlock(&ir->mutex);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -320,18 +336,19 @@ long lirc_dev_fop_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 {
 	struct irctl *ir = file->private_data;
 	__u32 mode;
-	int result = 0;
+	int result;
 
 	dev_dbg(ir->d.dev, LOGHEAD "ioctl called (0x%x)\n",
 		ir->d.name, ir->d.minor, cmd);
 
-	if (!ir->attached) {
-		dev_err(ir->d.dev, LOGHEAD "ioctl result = -ENODEV\n",
-			ir->d.name, ir->d.minor);
-		return -ENODEV;
-	}
+	result = mutex_lock_interruptible(&ir->mutex);
+	if (result)
+		return result;
 
-	mutex_lock(&ir->irctl_lock);
+	if (!ir->attached) {
+		result = -ENODEV;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	switch (cmd) {
 	case LIRC_GET_FEATURES:
@@ -386,8 +403,8 @@ long lirc_dev_fop_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 		result = -ENOTTY;
 	}
 
-	mutex_unlock(&ir->irctl_lock);
-
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&ir->mutex);
 	return result;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(lirc_dev_fop_ioctl);
@@ -399,27 +416,31 @@ ssize_t lirc_dev_fop_read(struct file *file,
 {
 	struct irctl *ir = file->private_data;
 	unsigned char *buf;
-	int ret = 0, written = 0;
+	int ret, written = 0;
 	DECLARE_WAITQUEUE(wait, current);
 
-	if (!LIRC_CAN_REC(ir->d.features))
-		return -EINVAL;
-
 	dev_dbg(ir->d.dev, LOGHEAD "read called\n", ir->d.name, ir->d.minor);
 
 	buf = kzalloc(ir->buf->chunk_size, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!buf)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	if (mutex_lock_interruptible(&ir->irctl_lock)) {
-		ret = -ERESTARTSYS;
-		goto out_unlocked;
+	ret = mutex_lock_interruptible(&ir->mutex);
+	if (ret) {
+		kfree(buf);
+		return ret;
 	}
+
 	if (!ir->attached) {
 		ret = -ENODEV;
 		goto out_locked;
 	}
 
+	if (!LIRC_CAN_REC(ir->d.features)) {
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto out_locked;
+	}
+
 	if (length % ir->buf->chunk_size) {
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 		goto out_locked;
@@ -454,13 +475,13 @@ ssize_t lirc_dev_fop_read(struct file *file,
 				break;
 			}
 
-			mutex_unlock(&ir->irctl_lock);
+			mutex_unlock(&ir->mutex);
 			set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 			schedule();
 			set_current_state(TASK_RUNNING);
 
-			if (mutex_lock_interruptible(&ir->irctl_lock)) {
-				ret = -ERESTARTSYS;
+			ret = mutex_lock_interruptible(&ir->mutex);
+			if (ret) {
 				remove_wait_queue(&ir->buf->wait_poll, &wait);
 				goto out_unlocked;
 			}
@@ -483,7 +504,7 @@ ssize_t lirc_dev_fop_read(struct file *file,
 	remove_wait_queue(&ir->buf->wait_poll, &wait);
 
 out_locked:
-	mutex_unlock(&ir->irctl_lock);
+	mutex_unlock(&ir->mutex);
 
 out_unlocked:
 	kfree(buf);